NAPA’s Ebola Response

NAPA president Lenora Bohren has appointed former NAPA president and current Director of African Initiatives at the University of Denver, Peter Van Arsdale, to serve as NAPA liaison for Ebola issues. One of his roles as liaison is helping link applied anthropologists with intersecting interests; another is to assist with communications arrangements for interested individuals who will be attending the AAA meetings in Washington, D.C.

Two special sessions regarding Ebola will be held, the afternoon of Dec. 5 and the morning of Dec. 6: further details are TBA. The roles of the AAA and the Society for Medical Anthropology also are central in this regard. Informal discussions over breakfast, lunch, dinner, or coffee are being encouraged throughout the meetings. Peter welcomes comments or questions, and can be reached at either PeterVanArsdale1@gmail.com or 303-770-1612.

A set of special, invited sessions covering Ebola issues in the context of anthropological collaboration was hosted by George Washington University on Nov. 6-7. The open forum that immediately followed on Nov. 7 was attended by a number of social scientists, activists, and others. One was Van Arsdale’s colleague, Africanist Katy Kutzner. Her notes as to what was covered during the forum are linked here (see below). Also attached are four memoranda, written at Van Arsdale’s request, by advanced graduate students specializing in public health at the University of Colorado. Each was asked to comment on those Ebola issues s/he deemed most pressing.

Although published prior to this latest outbreak, the information on syndemics and global health contained in volume 36, issue 2 (2013) of the NAPA-sponsored Annals of Anthropological Practice is helpful in framing certain of the Ebola issues. Other anthropological colleagues are working on topics as diverse as social stratification, networked communications/messaging, and humanitarian assistance at the military – civilian interface, to name but three.